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American Sports Writer

First-year University of Southern Mississippi football coach Todd Monken has proven to be all these things since arriving in Hattiesburg last December after USM turned to the former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator to resurrect its fortunes.

But what may have been overlooked in the gaudy numbers produced by his schemes and play-calling has been the bedrock of his approach: personal responsibility and doing things the right way.

For Monken, those lessons were hammered home by college football Hall of Famer Tom Beck, who was head coach at Grand Valley State at the start of Monken’s career.

“We had a bulletin board outside our office area, and he asked me to cut out some pictures from Sports Illustrated and put them on that board,” Monken said recently. “So, I cut out those pictures, and I thought it was a bull-crap job. I mean, I’m a big-time guy, right? Just out of college, my family’s in coaching.

“So, I put some of these pictures up there, and (Beck) grabbed me and took me outside, and said, ‘Look at that. What do you think of it?’ and I’d done a crappy job. He said, ‘You know what? You’ve got your name all over that. That has your name on it. You did that right there.’ ”

For Monken, it was a moment never forgotten.

“Man, that has stuck with me for 25 years,” Monken said. “So, when we talk about guys you want to hire and what we talk to our players about is, ‘You’re putting your name on it.’

“It’s about who you are, your character, how you carry yourself, the way you play on the field, the way you take the field, your attitude, your body language, the way you approach it — you’ve got your name on it and you’ve got your family’s name on it. Those are the things that carry over.”

Monken was hired for his first head coaching gig in large part for his track record with high-scoring offenses as an assistant coach/coordinator.

In his two years as OSU’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, the Cowboys put up eye-catching numbers:

It’s the same attack that Monken and staff installed this spring, one that bears some resemblance to what USM fans saw during the Larry Fedora era from 2008-11.

Linebacker Lelland Ducksworth said the offense even has helped USM’s defense.

“This summer, it’s more getting in shape and getting ready for this high-octane we’re running,” Ducksworth said. “Even though I’m on defense, we’re going to have to run with this offense that Coach Monken has. It’s pretty intense.”

And the man who is running the show is ready to get the show on the road.

“It’s what we love to do,” Monken said. “I’m from a coaching family, and the most fun I have is when I’m with our players, it really is, out there coaching and grinding and getting after it. Then, we’ll find out what we really have.

“We’re excited about the fall, and we’re excited about getting started.”